BMW Beats Audi with Laser Lighting

BMW has officially delivered its first vehicles with laser lighting in german last week with the handover of the first production i8s. While the option won’t make it to markets such as the US for some time (antiquated lighting regulations are to thank for that) BMW will be working to expand the technology into the rest of the vehicle line-up over the next 5-10 years. Next up we’d guess would be the 2016 G11 7 Series.

Official Release: The world’s first BMW i8s (fuel consumption combined: 2.1–0.0 l/100 km; CO2 emissions combined: 49–0 g/km) were handed over to customers today at BMW Welt in Munich: The first eight customers from Germany received their BMW i8s as part of an official ceremony in which Roland Krüger, Head of Sales and Marketing Germany for the BMW Group, and Dr. Helmut Schramm, Head of Production Electric Vehicles at Plant Leipzig, presented them with the keys to their new cars.

The first BMW i8 cars also feature the ground-breaking BMW laser light.

An exclusive evening reception to mark the BMW i8 market launch, with celebrity guests, such as TV presenter Thomas Gottschalk and actor Thomas Kretschmann, rounded off the official vehicle presentation.

BMW Laser Light in series production

With its BMW i8, BMW is the first manufacturer worldwide to offer totally new laser-powered headlights in a production vehicle. The BMW i8 will make automotive history with its laser lights, as the first series-produced vehicle to feature this completely new lighting technology.

While high-intensity, energy-efficient full LED headlights are standard in the BMW i8, the optional laser-boost feature extends its high-beam range to up to 600 metres, doubling the already impressive illumination range of the latest LED high-beam headlights.
The new technology uses 30 per cent less energy than ultra-power-saving LED lights, takes up less installation space inside the headlight and weighs less.

The outstanding range of BMW laser headlights offers even greater illumination and visibility for driving in the dark, ensuring a more relaxed and comfortable driving experience with enhanced road safety. Dazzling of oncoming traffic or vehicles ahead is reliably eliminated in conjunction with the camera-aided digital high-beam assistant.